Transcription downloaded from https://yetanothersermon.host/_/church4u/sermons/86487/live-the-word/.

Disclaimer: this is an automatically generated machine transcription - there may be small errors or mistranscriptions.
Please refer to the original audio if you are in any doubt.


[0:00] The Book of the Law Joshua 1 verse 8 The Book of the Law shall not depart out of thy mouth, but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein. For then shalt thou make thy way prosperous, and then shalt thou have good success.

[0:34] Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of good courage. Be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed. For the Lord thy God is with thee, whithersoever thou goest.

[0:47] Joshua had taken over the leadership from Moses. It was a big challenge. And all around the people had a reputation for being complainers and whingers, chronic complainers and backsliders.

[1:06] They were always murmuring and being negative. And Joshua took on this challenge. And when we face challenges, we need courage. We need courage.

[1:20] Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage. Be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed. For the Lord thy God is with thee, whithersoever thou goest.

[1:33] We have need of the Book. Verse 8 This Book of the Law shall not depart out of thy mouth, but thou shalt meditate therein day and night.

[1:45] We have need of the Book to live the Word. Joshua, the name means God saves. It means the Lord is my salvation.

[1:56] As the Greek equivalent is Jesus. It's the name of Jesus. And we see the Lord's promise success to Joshua as he obeys the Word.

[2:08] The Lord promises blessing as Joshua follows the Word of God. What matters is the Word. What matters is the Word of God. And we need the Word of God today too. We need God's Word. We need to live the Word.

[2:24] And there's many verses we'll just touch on tonight just to encourage you along that theme of living the Word of God, of receiving the Word of God. It's what mattered for Joshua. It's what mattered for him. It's what gave him that good courage.

[2:38] It's what gave him that being not afraid. The Word of God being in his mouth and being in his heart as he meditated day and night.

[2:50] We need to receive the Word of God. And I just want to encourage you, one and all, young people, older people today, we need the Word. We need to receive the Word.

[3:02] As we read of those in Acts 17 verse 11, they were more noble than those in Thessalonica. The people in Berea, they received the Word. They received the Word with all readiness of mind.

[3:14] And they searched the Scriptures daily whether those things were so. Acts 17 verse 11, they regarded the Word of God. They received the Word of God.

[3:25] They searched the Word of God. And we need an appreciation of the Word of God today. We need an appreciation of the Word. It's good to come to the Church of God.

[3:37] It's good to come as we assemble with the Word of God in our hands. Take the Word and read it. Let it be reinforced. Let it be refreshed as you read it, as you hear it.

[3:48] An appreciation of the Word. We need to receive the Word as the people of Berea did. 2 Timothy 3.16, Paul tells Timothy, All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.

[4:11] One of the best ways that we can go out to face those battles, as Joshua did with the people of God, is to have the Word of God in our lips and in our hearts.

[4:25] To have it in our minds, to have it in our memory. I know one of the most valuable things I did as a young Christian was to memorise the Bible, try to memorise the Word of God.

[4:39] And a mentor, a person helping me, a kind of teacher in the Church, suggested to me to make little cards about so big with the Bible verses written out on that I could keep in my pocket.

[4:54] And in those spare moments of time, I could take those cards and just have a look at the verse and run over it again in my mind to refresh it to my memory.

[5:06] And on one side was the Bible reference and on the other side was the Bible verses. And it's one of the best things that you can do as a young Christian, as an older Christian, is to burn the Word of God into your brain, hide it into your heart, memorise the Word of God.

[5:25] Now there's hundreds of Bible verses that you can try to commit to memory. As many Christians have committed large slabs of the Word of God into their memory. And it's almost a reproach to Christians that Muslims memorise their Koran, which is somewhat similar in size to the New Testament.

[5:47] So if they can do it, surely we can do it. Surely we as God's people could make more of an effort to memorise the Word of God, to hide it in our heart. As the psalmist said, to hide it in his heart that he might not sin against God.

[6:02] And there's many Bible verses that we can treasure, that we can commit to our memories, that we can then bring to life as we've committed them to memory, as we've hidden them in our hearts.

[6:13] And Joshua 1 tells us, this book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth. Number one is speak the Word.

[6:25] The book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth. Speak it. Speak the Word of God. We see that in Deuteronomy 6, verse 4-9.

[6:36] It's one of the precious Bible verses for the children of Israel. Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord, and thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul and with all thy might.

[6:56] And these words which I command thee this day shall be in thine heart. And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.

[7:15] And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes. And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house and on thy gates.

[7:27] You know, the Israelites would bind these verses of the sacred scriptures to their hands and upon their foreheads because they loved the Word of God.

[7:40] They wanted to have it in their lives. They wanted to have it written on the doorposts of their house, of the gates of their property. And I know the Psalm have got Bible verses on their walls of their homes.

[7:54] That's a good thing to do. It's a good thing to get some Bible texts as we've got some examples of them here. And put them, hang them on the walls of your home.

[8:05] Speak the Word. Speak the Word. Deuteronomy 6. Teach your children diligently. Teach them. Talk of them. Talk of the Word of God.

[8:17] Let it be your conversation. To speak the Word. To speak it. To talk it. To confess it. To speak the Word. 1 Timothy 4.13.

[8:29] Paul tells Timothy, Till I come, give attendance to reading. To exhortation. To doctrine. Paul said to Timothy, give attention to reading.

[8:40] And we could do that too. We could do well to give attention to reading. Give attention to the reading of the Word of God. You can read it out loud in your home. You can read it out amongst your families.

[8:52] You can read it out to yourself. Read the Word of God. Give attendance to reading. Give our attention to the Word of God. We need to speak the Word. Speak the Word because faith comes from the Word.

[9:07] Faith springs as we hear the Word. Faith springs to life. In Romans 10.17 it says, So then, faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.

[9:19] For people to hear it, we need to speak it. Don't be afraid to be a messenger of that message, the Word of God. As His witnesses.

[9:30] We've got Bible tracts to hand out with Bible verses. We've got messages that we can communicate through printed matter, through the written word, through the spoken word as you go out as His witnesses.

[9:45] You know, Wednesday night we heard Brother Holawati, just a simple man really, and he was faithful, giving out lots and lots of tracts across his community.

[9:59] Thousands, tens of thousands of tracts. And we've seen the result as being the hunger and the receptivity of the Word of God. That should speak to our hearts too, to be faithful in giving the Gospel in printed form, in spoken form.

[10:17] Speak the Word, speak the Word. 1 Peter 3.15 encourages us as His witnesses, but sanctify the Lord God in your hearts and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear.

[10:39] The Word needs to be spoken. Be ready always to give an answer. John the Baptist, when he proclaimed Christ, he said, Behold, the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world.

[10:54] He spoke forth the Word of God in John 1.29. He spoke as a witness, as a messenger. And we can do that too. Speak the Word. Speak it out.

[11:05] Don't be ashamed of it. Romans 1.16 Paul says, For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.

[11:23] There is great power in the gospel, but we must speak it out. We must declare it. We must be witnesses and bear witnesses of the message. In 1 Corinthians 1.18 it says, For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness, but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.

[11:46] The gospel is the power of God. The message of the cross is the power of God. But we must speak it. Speak the Word. Don't hold back to be His witnesses in your workplaces, in the going about of your day by day, to be His witness, to be one who will speak the Word.

[12:05] Find that opportunity. Make that opportunity to speak the Word. It's powerful. The Word of God is powerful. It's powerful. And the scriptures about salvation are scriptures we can speak as we go forth as His witnesses as we speak the Word.

[12:21] We can speak messages such as texts such as these. For example, Isaiah 53, verse 6. Lots of these are scriptures you can write down and seek to memorize, seek to commit them to your heart.

[12:38] For example, Isaiah 53, verse 6. All we, like sheep, have gone astray. We have turned everyone to His own way.

[12:49] And the Lord have laid on Him the iniquity of us all. That's a scripture you can share to the world around you as you say, we are all as sheep going astray.

[13:04] The Lord has laid on Him our sin, your sin. But God commendeth His love towards us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

[13:17] Romans 5, verse 8. Another scripture you can speak the Word as a witness. Another scripture is John 1, verse 12. But as many as received Him to them gave Him power to become the sons of God.

[13:32] Even to them that believe on His name. You can speak the Word. Encourage people to receive the Lord. Hearing is connected with believing.

[13:47] So we need to speak it. Speak it as His witness. If you speak the Word, someone will hear the Word. For example, John 5, 24 it says, The Lord Jesus says, Verily, or truly, I say unto you, He that heareth my Word and believeth on Him that sent me have everlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but is passed from death unto life.

[14:15] He that heareth my Word and believeth. Hearing, believing. So we need to speak it. We need to be witnesses of that message. As a first-time Christian, it's our mouth that confesses Christ.

[14:30] That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth and believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. Speak the Word. Don't hold back. Don't be afraid to speak the Word of God.

[14:42] To speak it out. To speak it boldly. To speak it with authority. Because the Word of God is powerful. It's powerful. Hebrews 4, verse 12, for the Word of God is quick or alive.

[14:55] It's quick and it's powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit and of the joints and marrow and as a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

[15:12] So firstly, speak the Word. This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth. Don't be afraid to speak the Word of God in your day by day.

[15:23] Speak the Word of God into your situation. Speak the Word of God as His witnesses as you go about, as you take that message. Speak the Word.

[15:33] Secondly, meditate on the Word. Thou shalt meditate therein, day and night. These were the secrets of Joshua's success, if you like.

[15:44] He was to not hold back from speaking the Word, to have it not departing out of His mouth. And secondly, He was not to hold back from meditating on the Word of God.

[15:58] Thou shalt meditate therein, day and night. There's a similar verse in Psalm 1, verse 2. It says, But His delight, speaking of the blessed man, the blessed man, the godly man, His delight is in the law of the Lord.

[16:14] And in His law doth He meditate day and night. Day and night. Meditate on the Word of God. In Psalm 119, verse 15, that's Psalm full of praise to the Word of God.

[16:28] I will meditate in thy precepts and have respect unto thy ways. Now, we're talking about Christian meditation here. We're not talking about transcendental meditation or far eastern mysticism kind of meditation.

[16:44] We're talking about a meditation that's a meditation focused on the Word of God. It's a Christian meditation. It isn't on blanking out your mind. It's not on blankness.

[16:54] It's a meditation on the Bible. Meditation on the Bible. And friends, there's many scriptures we can meditate on. Scriptures you can meditate on, that you can chew over in your mind and think about and draw strength from, draw truth from.

[17:12] For example, meditate on this. Proverbs 1, verse 7, The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

[17:24] That's a Bible verse you can meditate on. Amen? The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. Proverbs 30, verse 5, Every word of God is pure.

[17:36] He is a shield unto them that put their trust in Him. You can meditate on that. Every word of God is pure.

[17:48] Meditate on that. Let the word fill your mind. The promises of God, the promises of the scriptures are important for us. 2 Peter 1, verse 4, it says, Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises, that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

[18:15] Exceeding great and precious promises. This book is filled from cover to cover with exceeding great and precious promises.

[18:27] We can meditate therein. Nahum 1, verse 7, it says, The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble, and He knoweth them that trust in Him.

[18:41] That's a scripture you can meditate in, sister. That's a scripture you can meditate in, brother. The Lord is good and a stronghold in the day of trouble.

[18:52] Meditate on that. When you're going through tough things, meditate on that scripture. The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble. The promises of God, the promises of God about prayer are in this book.

[19:07] And all things believe Him, whatsoever you shall ask in prayer, believing you shall receive. Matthew 21, verse 22, promises about prayer. Whatsoever you shall ask in prayer, believing you shall receive.

[19:23] Matthew 21, verse 22, the promises about His rest. If you're going through a time of turmoil, He says to you, come unto me, all you that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

[19:41] Matthew 11, 28, meditate on that. The promises of God about peace. For example, Philippians 4, verse 7, and the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

[19:58] The promises of God about His life. For I'm persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

[20:24] The promises of God about His love for us. God's promises about heaven. Something yet future, but real and certain, as certain as His word.

[20:38] And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes. They'll come that day when you won't shed a tear, brother. They'll come a day when you won't shed a tear, sister.

[20:49] God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, nor, neither shall there be any more pain for the former things have passed away.

[21:03] There's promises about heaven in this book. There's promises about that future home that is assured for you. So speak the word, meditate on the word, and thirdly, apply the word.

[21:16] Most importantly, apply the word. Joshua was told observe to do. Observe to do according to all that is written therein.

[21:32] The most important thing that you can do that God's word tells you to do is to be born again. To be born again.

[21:43] 1 Peter 1, 23, being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth forever.

[21:57] This word has life-giving seed, and it is incorruptible seed. It shall never corrupt. It shall never decay. It is everlasting seed.

[22:08] the word of God. And we're born again by the word as we heed it, as we receive the saviour. God's word has power.

[22:20] It's powerful. And it says, as we trust him by the word, there's many promises for us too, as we apply the word in salvation. Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature.

[22:34] old things are passed away. Behold, all things are become new. 2 Corinthians 5, 17. James 1 tells you, be doers of the word, not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.

[22:50] Observe to apply the word. Observe to live it. Observe to heed it, to act it out. The Bible is precious, and it has a promise of salvation.

[23:04] Heed it, speak it, meditate on it, apply it. You know, we can just casually flip through our Bibles and not really understand the key vital truths that it presents to us.

[23:18] For example, that precious scripture, Ephesians 2, 8 and 9, for by grace are you saved through faith and that not of yourselves. It is the gift of God, not of works lest any man should boast.

[23:33] For we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. For by grace are you saved through faith.

[23:47] God's grace is a wonderful gift. A wonderful gift. Apply the word. Apply the word. In what it is saying about setting priorities for your life.

[24:01] Apply it. Observe to do it. For example, Matthew 6, 33, another familiar one. But seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you.

[24:20] Apply the word. Do we apply that? Sometimes we don't. Apply the word about sound doctrine. Apply the word about your faith. For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world.

[24:34] And this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Faith. It germinates as the word is heard.

[24:47] Faith. It overcomes the world. Whatever you're facing in your life, faith will overcome the world. world. That's absolutely everything, isn't it?

[24:58] It's all encompassing. But we must do what the word says in practical things. For example, when the word says to you, casting all your care upon him for he careth for you.

[25:14] Cast your care. Do it. Do it. Don't just read it. Don't just be a hearer of it. do it.

[25:25] Do it. Cast your care. When the word of God says in Isaiah 26, 3, they will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee, because he trusteth in thee.

[25:38] Do it. Put your mind upon him. Stay your mind upon him, and he will give you perfect peace.

[25:49] He promises you. Apply the word. it. Apply the scriptures about what you should do with your heart. John 14, 27, he says to you, peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you, not as the world giveth, give I unto you.

[26:07] Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. Do we just flip by such scriptures as that? Do we wonder and worry and fret and fuss and neglect what the word says to do, do, do, do.

[26:21] Apply it. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. When the word says be strong and of a good courage, when the word of God says be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed, do it.

[26:41] For the Lord thy God is with thee, whithersoever thou goest. Wherever you go, the Lord is with you. Believe the word. In Psalm 27 verse 1 it says, the Lord is my light and my salvation.

[26:53] Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life. Of whom shall I be afraid? Take the word and let it live.

[27:07] He says to you, I will never leave you nor forsake you. Apply the scriptures about faith. It says, this is another familiar one.

[27:18] Proverbs 3 verse 5 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not unto thine own understanding in all thy ways acknowledge him and he shall direct thy paths.

[27:31] Trust in the Lord. Do it. Do it today. When you face doubts, when you face battles, apply the scriptures that speak of this spiritual battle and of how you are to fight it.

[27:45] Ephesians 6 Look through these scriptures and put them in your heart. You know this one? Ephesians 6 11 Put on the whole armour of God that you may be able to withstand against the wiles of the devil.

[27:59] For we wrestle not against flesh and blood but against principalities against powers against the rulers of the darkness of this world against spiritual wickedness in high places.

[28:11] Do what the word of God says about your enemy. What does it say about your enemy? It says be sober be vigilant because your adversary the devil as a roaring lion walketh about seeking whom he may devour.

[28:28] 1 Peter 5 verse 8 James 4 verse 7 it says submit therefore to God resist the devil and he will flee from you. Apply the word when you're facing spiritual battles.

[28:41] Look up scriptures like that to help you fight the battle. It's your sword. Don't neglect it. Don't keep it in the scabbard. Get it out and open it and heed it.

[28:53] Apply the word. What does the word say? The word says rejoice. It says this is the day which the Lord hath made. I will rejoice and be glad in it.

[29:06] Psalm 118 verse 24 We could go on and on as we're just scratching the surface about the many promises of God that we can put in our real life today.

[29:17] Apply the scriptures. Apply the scriptures about what it says about the world. What to do with the world. What you should do with your body. What you should do with your mind. Romans 12 I beseech you therefore brethren by the mercies of God that you present your bodies a living sacrifice holy acceptable unto God which is your reasonable service and be not conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

[29:52] Apply the word. Apply the word. Apply the word about fellowship. Hebrews 10 25 not forsaking the assembling of yourselves together as the manner of some is but exhorting one another and so much the more as you see the day approaching as we see the day approaching we should be exhorting one another all the more so much the more.

[30:15] Apply the scriptures about prayer. Do we pray when trouble comes when we have hassles when things are hard do we pray what does the word tell us about prayer Hebrews 4 16 let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need don't neglect the word brother don't neglect the word sister Jeremiah 33 3 some call it God's telephone number call unto me and I will answer thee and show thee great and mighty things which thou knowest not apply the scriptures about what he wants you to do apply the scriptures about what he wants you to do Micah 6 8 tells you that Micah 6 8 it says he hath showed thee what is good and what doth the Lord require of thee but to do justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with thy

[31:20] God apply the scriptures apply the scriptures about your fears we've all got things that we find hard to handle he says to you two words fear not fear not Isaiah 41 10 fear thou not for I am with thee be not dismayed for I am thy God I will strengthen thee yea I will help thee yea I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness what a promise lock that in your memory banks put that in your hard drive put that in those grey cells brother write that on the tablets of your heart fear thou not for I am with thee be not dismayed for I am thy God I will strengthen thee yea

[32:21] I will help thee yea I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness apply the word for whatsoever is born of God overcometh!

[32:35] the world and this is the victory that overcometh the world even our faith friends we've covered much ground here tonight Joshua had that commission this book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth but thou shalt meditate therein day and night that thou may observe to do according to all that is written therein for then shalt thou make thy way prosperous and then shalt thou have good success speak the word when you have opportunity speak the word confess the scriptures confess them by faith declare the word of god in your life speak the word meditate on the word seek even just pieces of scripture to plant them in your heart meditate on the word of god write out little verses scraps of paper it doesn't have to be some fancy technical system there's all kinds of ways you can seek to do it but as you write the word of god and have it in your pocket and refer to it from time to time and remind yourself refresh yourself meditate in day and night in those spare moments that are so fleeting and it's not a big call on your time really moment by moment meditate meditate on the word and lastly apply the word observe to do it observe to do it so when you're going through life's trials and situations you don't neglect and turn to his word for comfort there's comfort of the scriptures in other words there's encouragement from the scriptures and we can miss out so much when we neglect to turn to the word of

[34:46]  God for answers because the answers are here the answers are here let us pray some